In hanging closets, it is common practice to provide a hanging bar for clothes, and a shelf above the hanging bar for storage of lightweight items. Various proposals have been made for combination shelf edges and hanger supports, which provide the function of the hanger bar whilst finishing and supporting the front edge of the shelf. The latter may be of relatively flimsy material such as hardboard, which requires support at all four edges. Support at the rear and end edges is commonly provided by nailing strips which must be cut to size, and some means may be provided to finish the ends of the shelf edge and hanger support. Examples of prior art arrangements are to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,120,309 (Goettle et al), 3,339,749 (Odegaard et al) and 3,688,915 (Ramsey), the last of these being considered most nearly typical of the present state of the art.
Proposals have been made for more fully prefabricated combination shelves and hanger bars, the shelves being all metal and of telescopic constructions to accommodate variations in width. Such shelves do away with the requirement for separate nailing strips but are necessarily somewhat costly and are also bulky to ship. Examples of such proposals are to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,600 (La Bonia et al) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,676 (Sedo). Proposals have also been made in Canada for moulded plastic end brackets to support a rigid shelf and separate hanger bar.